An Evening with Momentum

On Tuesday 30 January I responded to an invitation from one of the four candidates on the Calder Valley Labour Party shortlist to hear her speak at a meeting organised by Momentum. On its Facebook announcement Momentum advertised this as a “public event”.

Going into the meeting with my wife we were refused admission and asked to leave.When we protested we were referred to Roger O’Doherty who appeared to be in charge. He said that we couldn’t attend Momentum meetings if we weren’t members and suggested that would give us time to go downstairs and drink beer. He didn’t offer to buy any but this was, after all, Yorkshire.

A concerned lady came down to assuage my annoyance and explained that I would not have been admitted to the party’s LGBGT group either.  She added that I couldn’t be allowed in because the group would be discussing the candidates.

Now I make no criticism of the candidate, who in the short chat I was able to have with her, before the meeting was very nice and an excellent identity candidate.But Momentum is not a Labour Party affiliate and in the light of Labour’s sad experience with parties within the party, from CND through Militant to the SDP it is legitimate to ask why an organisation which believes in an open democratic Labour Party, and wants to increase participation behaves in a fashion which could be viewed as conspiratorial, even sinister.

The questions which should be answered at, or before, the Labour Party selection on Saturday are:-
1.Why is Momentum behaving like an affiliated organisation when it isn’t?
2. Has Momentum held similar meetings for the other three candidates and were these also closed meetings?
3.Is Momentum as an organisation in Calder Valley backing one or more candidates, or is it opposing one or more .Will any such advice be publicly announced?
As I understand it Momentum is a sectional organisation promoting a series of left wing policies. I am not opposed to these policies but I do see Labour as a broad church with several strands of opinion.These must live together,cooperate with each other and work openly, if our party is to win power in a conservative country with a malign media.

IT IS A PLOT!

Britain’s elite and Europe’s have one thing in common. They both know better than the people what the people want. Better say “really want” because they see the transient needs of the little people in jobs, a rising standard of living and a fairer society but they know, what the people don’t that there’s a greater good beyond that. What the people need is a strong European Union moving steadily and happily to ever closer union and if the people don’t always realise that then it’s the responsibility of both elites to guide them there..

That noble vision is far more important than any transient popular whims such as cheaper food ,catching our own fish or managing our own destinies. People might have been prepared to die for their country in the past but these are more enlightened times. Now patriotism is old hat and the people need a brotherly ( sisterly and transgender) love for Europe.Even if they don’t quite realise it.

So any ignoble aberration from this noble instinct must be due to some mental aberration, ignorance, stupidity, Russian bribery, or the uncomprehending malevolence of antediluvian populists. All such whims must be overruled and expunged.

Referenda therefore, can’t be allowed. As President Macron has pointed out even the French might vote against their interest Which is why whenever the Dutch, the Irish or the French have made the mistake of voting against what the EU wants, they have been required to think and vote again to get it right.

It follows from all this that the two elites are not only entitled but positively required to work together to stop the people being overwhelmed by folly. British Remainers, and Blair’s Resisters must work to discredit and stop Brexit. The Eurocracy are making it difficult to get are both working to heaven’s plan and both should, must and will collude and conspire together to stop it.

So don’t assume that when Tony Blair goes to Brussels he’s just popping in for a drink or three with his old mate Jean Claude Junker, or reviving his prospects of becoming president of the EU. Don’t assume either that the Remoaners who flock there are just going to take selfies with Barnier in the Grande Place or enjoy fish restaurants they can’t afford. They’re all there to plot the wrecking of Brexit and plan how to achieve that together

The joint strategy is for the British fifth column to keep up the fight, terrify the nation by predictions of disaster, ruin, death and chlorinated chicken, and create the impression that the nation is divided and beginning to repent, so as to encourage their Euro mates to drag things out and demand impossible terms . Then, under this combined assault, the poor bemused Brits will repent and crawl back and the EU can get on with its business of making the Euro work, creating a European army and building more marble halls in Brussels.

Dead easy. So far its worked well, split both British parties,lowered Theresa’s aims, terrified the softies into demanding that we stay trussed in the single market, and extinguished UKIP’s will to live. Another year of this and, they think, there’ll be no need to wait for the recalcitrant old to die off. Yesterday’s men can resume their rule as Britain clamours to go back on any terms. They may even be willing to join the Euro , and send our depleted army over as the Pioneer Corps of Macron’s Grand Armee with the band playing Beethoven’s Ninth instead of the National anthem. Democracy? Champagne all round.

Happy Euro-day to one and all!

Important New Year Message to the Labour Party

OLD LABOUR: NEW WILSON

If you’re hoping to see Labour climb down from its mugwump position over Brexit in 2018, forget it. Labour will stay firm in its indecision. The iron may be rusty but it’s entered Labour’s soul.

It can’t take any firm position because to do so would split a party which has always been disunited on the EU. It took a revolt by 69 Labour MPs to take Britain in, and while Labour stood on a policy of withdrawal in 1983 by 2003 it had stood on its head to become the most Euro-enthusiastic party around. Now the divisions are even worse. Euro-enthusiasts led by Peter Mandelson’s deputy on earth, Chuka Umunna, fight to stay in and many MPs have a romantic vision of an illusory EU which their constituents don’t share. Some Trade unions have given up hope of a Labour government and look for crumbs of comfort from Brussels and several Labour local authorities feel the same

The number of MPs who want to withdraw has dwindled, but the leader, and his acolytes having consistently opposed membership, still see it as a capitalist ramp, hostile to socialist economic measures while a substantial number of others want to obey the democratic decision of the people in the least disturbing manner.

The result is a firm decision not to decide. Jeremy Corbyn has taken a lot of flack for this from Euro enthusiasts denouncing him for losing the referendum by his lack of enthusiasm and MPs who want to cling on to the EU attack him for not demanding that Britain stay in a single market which he thinks will make industrial regeneration impossible. A few who remain loyal to the old policy of coming out urge him to back the people’s decision. Others just want rid of the whole business. This is a party of 57 varieties of Euro-policy.

Yet neither Labour’s MPs nor the commentariat realise that the old serial rebel has grown into a leader, and a Labour Party leader at that. Jeremy is committed to what has been the central aim of every previous leader except Blair and Ramsey McDonald. He wants to hold a discordant party together to win power. Instead of condemning him for his radical past they should ask the crucial Labour question. What’s the would Harold Wilson do?

The answer is much the same as Jeremy is now doing, though Jeremy does it with less flair and cunning. In the early sixties Harold opposed membership of what was then the Common Market. As Prime Minister he attempted to join. He then reverted in opposition, to staying out. Finally he concealed Labour’s divisions and his own changes behind a pretended re-negotiation followed by a referendum This healed the splits and allowed Labour to win power and govern.

As he transforms from protester to politician Jeremy must ask himself why waste time and expose the splits over something that’s not central to his purpose of winning power and rebuilding Britain? Better to take the Wilson approach. Harass government in its difficulties, divisions and EU intransigence, while keeping quiet on what Labour would do, how much it would pay for a Get Out of Jail Card, and what kind of settlement it prefers. Instead of joining the battle, the opposition can carp and criticise the government’s position. Whatever it might be.

That may be unhelpful. It must weaken Theresa’s negotiating position. It will certainly encourage Brussels to be tougher and Lord Heseltine to support Labour but, as Lord Kindersley once said of one of his own dirty deals “it may be anti-British and derogatory to sterling but it makes sense to me” As it would for any Labour leader who puts party first.

Of course Jeremy still wants to win power, but not just yet. Labour won’t-indeed can’t- emerge from its bomb shelter until the Brexit war is over and either negotiations fail or Theresa comes away with a settlement which is less than the electorate wants. Why wander onto the battlefield before that? Why sink in mud to be hit by shrapnel, bombs and abuse when you can help a baffled government to fail. Just think what Harold would do.